Lawsuit opened against man beaten by Turkish police

ISTANBUL

Ahmet Koca. DHA photo

Prosecutors have opened a lawsuit against Ahmet Koca, who was severely beaten by at least seven policemen on June 18, demanding that he serve between 1.5 and five years in prison for "resisting a police officer" and "insulting a public official,” daily Habertürk reported today.

Three of the seven police officers who beat Koca had received health reports saying their "hands were hurt" in the attack and claimed that it was Koca who beat them despite video footage explicitly showing the officers beating the lone man. 
 
Koca has filed a complaint as well, saying the policemen beat him in the street and forced him into a squad car where they continued the beating for hours as they drove around the city before releasing him, rather than taking him to a police station. 
 
Amateur footage emerged June 20, showing at least seven policemen beating and kicking Koca following an argument over right of way on a street sometime after midnight. The man was attempting to bring a pregnant relative to hospital when the incident occurred.

The video caused an uproar, prompting the Interior Ministry to launch an investigation into the incident and remove the accused policemen from duty.